Kindergartner allegedly forced to clean public toilet

A River Ridge Elementary School teacher is accused of forcing a kindergartner to clean urine off of a toilet seat.

And the boy's mother is irate.

A mother's anger is behind a 3-page, hand-written letter to the Columbia County school superintendent.

She says what happened to her son should never happen again.

6-year-old Xavier didn't go to school Monday...and chances are he won't ever return to River Ridge Elementary.

"It is unacceptable what they have done. It is totally unacceptable," says his mother, Michelle Vann. She was furious when her son told her his kindergarten teacher had made him clean a public toilet, blaming him for urinating on it.

"She kept talking about you gotta go tell the teacher that there's pee pee on the seat," Xavier says.

Michelle later learned he wasn't even wearing gloves.

"I trusted these people with my son. I sent him to school to learn. And you've got him doing janitor's service at the school and putting him at health risk?"

A nurse, Michelle is furious.

She says what she got - a mere apology over the phone - is unacceptable.

"Don't play games with me here," Michelle says. "I said, 'This teacher really made my son clean a toilet?' and she said, 'Yes, Ma'am,' and she said, 'Well, we apologize, but we'll take care of this.' And I said 'Oh yeah you will'."

The school principal couldn't comment on this case because it is still under investigation by the superintendent, but she did say this is a very serious accusation, and that she's treating as such.

"She embarrassed me in front of the classroom."

In the meantime Xavier will be home-schooled while his mother gets to the bottom of what happened.

"You know, next time you want someone to clean the toilet, call me."

"He's just six years old. He's just a kindergartner. I can't believe I'm even having this discussion about my child cleaning a toilet seat in 2006," Michelle says.

Michelle has filed reports with the sheriff's office, River Ridge Elementary School and the county Health Department.

This case is still under investigation. We'll continue to bring you new details as they become available.

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